Robotic platform

• US 7,597,162 B2
• Filed: 12/24/2003
• Issued: 10/06/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Flir Detection, Inc. (Teledyne Technologies Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: iRobot Corporation
• Inventors: Won, Chikyung
• Primary Examiner(s): Boehler; Anne Marie M
• Application Number:
  US10/745,941
• Publication Number:
  US 20040216931A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,113 Days
• Field of Search: 180/9.1, 180/9.32, 180/9.4, 180/9.62, 180/8.2, 180/901, 305/127, 305/199, 305/120, 305/126, 305/165, 305/195, 446/433, 280/5.22, 280/5.2, 280/5.28, 901/1
• US Class Current: 180/9.32
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 11/0025 handling explosives, bombs or hazardous objects
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 5/005 mounted on endless tracks or belts
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 55/065 Multi-track vehicles, i.e. more than two tracks soil-shifting machines E02F; mining machines E21C
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 55/0655 Articulated endless track vehicles steering specially adapted for trailers B62D13/00; articulated buses B62D47/025; tractor-trailer combinations or road trains comprising a uni-axle unit and a uni-axle trailer B62D53/02
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 55/075 Tracked vehicles for ascending or descending stairs, steep slopes or vertical surfacesmagnetic or pneumatic ground-engaging parts B62D55/265; chairs or multi-track cycles specially adapted for invalids A61G5/00
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 55/12 Arrangement, location, or adaptation of driving sprockets
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 55/14 Arrangement, location, or adaptation of rollers
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 55/244 Moulded in one piece, with either smooth surfaces or surfaces having projections, e.g. incorporating reinforcing elements
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 180/901 Devices for traversing vertical surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 280/901 Adaptation of nonspecialized vehicles to semitrailer tractors

Abstract

An articulated tracked vehicle that has a main section, which includes a main frame, and a forward section. The main frame has two sides and a front end, and includes a pair of parallel main tracks. Each main track includes a flexible continuous belt coupled to a corresponding side of the main frame. The forward section includes an elongated arm. One end of the arm is pivotally coupled to the main frame near the forward end of the main frame about a transverse axis that is generally perpendicular to the sides of the main frame. The arm has a length sufficiently long to allow the forward section to extend below the main section in at least some degrees of rotation of the arm, and a length shorter than the length of the main section. The center of mass of the main section is located forward of the rearmost point reached by the end of the arm in its pivoting about the transverse axis. The main section is contained within the volume defined by the main tracks and is symmetrical about a horizontal plane, thereby allowing inverted operation of the robot.

Claims

1. An articulated tracked vehicle comprising:

a main section comprising a main frame having two sides and a front end, and comprising a pair of parallel main tracks, each track being coupled to a corresponding side of the main frame;

a forward section comprising a pair of elongated arms each having a proximal end and a distal end, proximal ends of the arms being pivotally coupled to the main frame near the front end of the main frame allowing rotation of the arms around a transverse axis that is generally perpendicular to the sides of the main frame, the forward section comprising a pair of forward tracks, one of the forward tracks being coupled to each of the arms;

on each side of the vehicle, a pair of drive pulleys for supporting and driving each of the main and forward tracks, respectively, the drive pulleys being coaxial with the transverse axis of rotation of the arms, and joined so that the main and forward tracks are driven together;

a mast that is extendible relative to the main section and the forward section;

a sensor mounted on the mast;

a flexible continuous belt attached to each of the parallel main tracks; and

a plurality of compliant longitudinal track supports coupled between the main frame and the flexible continuous belts, each longitudinal track support having a series of open slots forming a series of rib sections between upper and lower edges of a support.

2. An articulated tracked vehicle comprising:

a main section comprising a main frame having two sides and a front end, and comprising a pair of parallel main tracks, each track being coupled to a corresponding side of the main frame;

a forward section comprising a pair of elongated arms each having a proximal end and a distal end, proximal ends of the arms being pivotally coupled to the main frame near the front end of the main frame allowing rotation of the arms around a transverse axis that is generally perpendicular to the sides of the main frame, the forward section comprising a pair of forward tracks, one of the forward tracks being coupled to each of the arms;

on each side of the vehicle, a pair of drive pulleys for supporting and driving each of the main and forward tracks, respectively, the drive pulleys being coaxial with the transverse axis of rotation of the arms, and joined so that the main and forward tracks are driven together;

a mast that is extendible relative to the main section and the forward section; and

a sensor mounted on the mast;

wherein the main section is contained within a volume defined by the main tracks, and

wherein the articulated track vehicle is configured to operate in different orientations.

3. An articulated tracked vehicle comprising:

a chassis having front and rear ends and supported on right and left driven tracks, each track trained about a corresponding front wheel rotatable about a front wheel axis;

an imaging device disposed on the front end of the chassis;

right and left elongated front arms disposed on corresponding sides of the chassis outboard of the right and left driven tracks and operable to rotate 360 degrees about the front wheel axis of the chassis, each front arm having a driven track movable about its perimeter and trained about a corresponding drive wheel rotatable about the front wheel axis and concentric with the front wheels of the driven tracks;

an articulation motor that rotates both front arms about the front wheel axis; and

a clutch coupled between the articulation motor and the front arms, the clutch enabling rotation of the front arms without rotation of the articulation motor when a torque between the front arms and the chassis exceeds a limit;

wherein the right and left front arms are both sized to support and rotate the chassis about the front wheel axis, thereby raising the rear end of the chassis and elevating a center of gravity of the chassis above a center of gravity of the right and left front arms while the center of gravity of the chassis remains forward of distal ends of the front arms.

4. The articulated tracked vehicle of claim 3 wherein the vehicle is configured to operate both in a first orientation in which a bottom of the vehicle contacts a supporting surface, and in a second orientation in which a top of the vehicle contacts the supporting surface.

5. The articulated tracked vehicle of claim 3, wherein the front arms rotate in unison.

6. The articulated tracked vehicle of claim 3, wherein the chassis defines a payload area.

7. The articulated track vehicle of claim 3, wherein the chassis is contained within a volume defined by the right and left driven tracks.

8. The articulated tracked vehicle of claim 7, wherein the chassis is symmetrical about a horizontal plane, thereby allowing the vehicle to operate in a first orientation in which the bottom of the vehicle faces ground and in a second orientation in which the top of the vehicle faces ground.

9. The articulated tracked vehicle of claim 3, further comprising a harmonic drive coupled between the articulator motor and the front arms, the harmonic drive providing a greater torque to the front arms than a torque provided by the articulator motor.

10. The articulated tracked vehicle of claim 3, further comprising an operator control unit in wireless communication with a controller carried by the chassis and in communication with the driven tracks and the front arms.

11. The articulated tracked vehicle of claim 3 further comprising:

a mast attached to the chassis and extendible forward of the chassis and the chassis forward end; and

a sensor mounted on the mast.

12. The mobile robot of claim 11, wherein the mast is rotatable relative to the chassis.

13. The articulated tracked vehicle of claim 11, wherein the mast is extendible away from the chassis.

14. The mobile robot of claim 11, wherein the sensor comprises a camera.

15. The mobile robot of claim 11 further comprising a manipulator mounted on the mast and operable to grasp objects.

16. The articulated tracked vehicle of claim 3, wherein the front arms are rigidly coupled and are rotatable together by the articulator motor, the articulator motor providing sufficient torque between the chassis and the front arms to raise an end of the chassis to support the vehicle using the front arms.

17. The articulated tracked vehicle of claim 16, wherein the front arms have a length sufficiently long to extend below the chassis in at least some positions of front arm rotation and a length shorter than the length of the chassis, wherein the center of mass of the chassis is located forward of a rearmost point reached by the distal ends of the front arms while pivoting about the front wheel axis.